A Writing Update

The world in the WIP is different than any I’ve written in before, because it’s not totally and completely a fantasy I’ve created. Instead, it’s heavily inspired by a very real place in the real world. Scotland, to be precise.

The *real* world? A few years ago, I would have instantly said, “Who wants to write about that?” Not me. I’m a secondary world fantasy girl at my core; that will always be my first love.

If the last couple of years have taught me anything, though, it’s that the writer’s journey, the evolution of one’s creative drive, is no more predictable than it is easy. Just as you can’t control what happens to your books once you finish writing them, you also can’t know what exactly will spark that artsy passion until it hits. Scotland with magic? I never thought I’d feel compelled to play in that sandbox. Now I’ve realized there’s a story I have to tell, characters I want to bring to life, and they won’t fit anywhere else.

Now, developing this world has been far from straightforward. Figuring out how to balance real cultural touchstones, geography, and history with plenty of magic and the aspects I’ve made up is proving to be a particular sort of challenge. It’s outside my comfort zone. There are books still to read and research to be done, and meanwhile there’s no rule book to follow as to where to draw the line.

Still, that lack of guidance is also liberating. It’s exciting. As an author, it’s important to me that I don’t just write the same book twice, so I’m choosing to embrace that uncertainty and lean into the newness of it all. There will always be certain themes woven into the stories I feel compelled to tell — complex characters with poignant emotional arcs, earth magic with an environmentalist bend, a celebration of familial and friendship love in addition to the romantic. But I also want to explore uncharted territories. I aim to grow.

So, if any of you are stepping outside your comfort zone at the moment, however that might manifest, I see and salute you. I’ll be over here doing the same thing as I continue to build this world. And I have a feeling our decisions are going to pay off.